Refrigerating system having air circulating means



Nov. 21, 1950 H. E. CHRISTMAN REFRIGERATING SYSTEM HAVING AIR CIRCULATING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 5, 1947 INVENTOR. Ham/d E. Chn'sfman BY CSLAQLULW Aff'y Patented Nov. 21, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATING SYSTEM HAVING AIR CIRCULATING MEANS Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in refrigerators and has particular reference to refrigerators for vehicles such as trucks, motorboats and the like, wherein it is desirous of cooling a relatively large compartment through the use of the refrigerator.

A further object is to produce a refrigerator wherein the refrigerant is caused to move up and down to create circulation Within the refrigerator so that the cooling effect thereof will be utilized to the greatest extent.

A further object is to provide means for direcing a flow of air over cooled veins or corrugations to chill the air in a most economical manner.

A still further object is to provide means to accommodate for various loads of refrigerant such as several cakes of Dry Ice in contradistinction to a single cake.

A further object is to produce a device wherein the refrigerant will be conserved when the refrigerator is not being used to cool the compartment in which it is stored.

Another object is to produce a device which is economical to manufacture and one requiring a minimum amount of room; also, one which is easy to install or remove from the vehicle.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is a vertical "cross-sectional view of my refrigerator.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the lower portion of the refrigerator showing the refrigerant carrier, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional View on a reduced scale of my refrigerator installed in a truck trailer.

' In the hauling of various commodities such as vegetables, fruits, meats and the like it is often necessary to refrigerate an interior of the trailer in order that the commodity being hauled is properly preserved throughout the trip.

It is common practice to use ice, Dry Ice or cooling coils which are cooled by ordinary refrigcrating methods in order to maintain proper temperatures.

It has been found that the most efficient cooling medium is Dry Ice which is merely placed in suitable containers and air blown thereover, but

with some merchandise being carried it is impossible to use this method for the reason that the fumes from the Dry Ice will have a damaging effect upon some commodities such as pears, broccoli and others, while with others such as beans, the fumes will prevent mold, which was a very serious problem up until the time when Dry Ice was first used.

With my device I can either dissipate the'fumes out into the truck body or into the atmosphere as desired. Further, I provide means whereby the ice is conserved when the truck is at a standstill as for example during the loading and unloading process.

Thus, as stated above, I have produced a refrigerator wherein the consumption of the Dry Ice is very materially reduced over that commonly used in present installations.

In the accompanying drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 designates an insulated casing within which is positioned a corrugated lining 6, the corrugations of which extend around three sides of the casing 5 (see Fig. 3). This construction, together with the fourth outer side of the casing 5 forms a 1chamber l which is closed by a bottom 8 and a An air space I l is formed above the top 9, which air space communicates with the top of the outside channels l2 of the corrugations 6.

A motor driven fan I3 is positioned in the air chamber II as is also a radiator 14 which has its lower end It communicating with the inside of the chamber l and has its upper end ll communicating with the atmosphere.

A pipe [8 also communicates with the atmosphere and with the interior of the chamber 1. This pipe i8 is provided with a valve IS, the purpose of which will be later seen.

The outside channels I2 have their bottom ends communicating through pivoted louvers 2! with the outside atmosphere, which louvers are in turn controlled by thermostatically controlled air operated valves 22.

Within the chamber 1 I provide angle iron tracks 23, which tracks serve to position a reirigerant carrier 24 which is in the form of a grid and has spaced rollers 26 at each corner thereof, which rollers are mounted on hangers 21, to the upper end of which are connected springs 28, the upper end of the springs being in turn connected to the top 9 of the chamber 1.

Mounted beneath the carrier 24 is a fan 29, the purpose of which will be later seen.

A pair of cables 3| and 32 are connected to the carrier 24 and extend upwardly through the top 9, and are reeved over pulleys 33 and 34 respectively and then passed over a pulley 36 mounted on the inner end of a pivoted arm 31, thence over a pulley 38, to the end of which cables a weight 39 is attached.

The arm 3! has a series of slots 4|, through the medium of which the upper end 42 of a spring 43 may be adjustably secured to the arm 31. The lower end of the spring is attached, as at 43, to the floor of the truck or any suitable point of attachment.

The result of this construction is that when the refrigerator is positioned in a truck body the airline of the truck is attached to the air controlled thermostat valves 22, and then by turning on the air the thermostats will actuate the valves 22 to open the louvers 2! to turn on the fan I3, and thus draw air in through the bottom of the refrigerator upwardly through the corrugated outside channels [2, past the radiator I4, and thence outward into the body of the truck.

It is, of course, assumed. tht Dry Ice has been placed within the chamber 1 through either of the doors. M or 46, the Dry Ice being placed upon the carrier 24 through the medium of the usual ice tongs. It is possible to place several blocks of ice on the carrier and by then adjusting the spring 4.3 to the proper notch 4|, the load may be accommcdated. for, depending upon the number of cakes placed upon the carrier.

Additional weights 39 may also be placed upon the ends of the cables SI and 32, the result being 1,

that while the truck is at a standstill the fan 29, which is motor driven, can have its motor circuit manually closed and thus be turned on in order to create circulation within the chamber 7, thus circulating the vapors being given off by i the Dry Ice within the chamber 1 and causing them to flow upwardly at the control portion of the chamber and down at its sides through the channels formed by the corrugations thus cooling the inner surfaces of the corrugations, with the result that frost Will be deposited from the moist air outside of the chamber 1 on the outer surfaces of the corrugations.v

When the truck is under way the vertical vibration of the truck will cause the springs 28 to function, and consequently the. carrier 24 will be bounced up and down, thus causing a pumping action which will create circulation within the chamber 1.

As soon as the temperature in the truck has reached the degree for which the thermostats in the truck (not shown) are set the louvers will close and the motor- 13 will stop, with the recult that the refrigerator will no longer func tion to cool the interior of the truck, but Will retain the frost on the corrugated. surface, ready to receive the next. surge of the air currents, thus conserving the Dry Ice to the utmost and consequently the resultant refrigeration is economical.

When it is desired to cause the products of the Dry Ice, that is, the gases given 01f thereby, to enter the space in the truck, the valve i9 is operated so as to transfer the flow to the inside of the truck rather than to the outside atmosphere.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes relative to the material, size, shape andarrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A refrigerator having an insulated casing, a walled chamber formed in said casing and spaced therefrom, means for moving a current of air through said casing and over the outer wall of said chamber, means within said chamber for causing circulation of a refrigerant over the inner walls of said chamber through the movement of the refrigerator as a whole, said means including a resilient refrigerant carrier, and a pivoted arm mounted in said casing, one end of said arm overlying said carrier, the other end of said arm extending out of said casing, cables connecting to said carrier and reeved over said arm and having a counterbalance connected to the free end of said cable to counterbalance the refrigerant load mounted on said carrier.

2. A refrigerator having an insulated casing, a walled chamber formed in said casing and spaced therefrom, means for moving a current of air through said casing and over the outer wall of said chamber, means within said chamber for causing circulation of a refrigerant over the inner walls of said chamber through the movement of the refri erator as a whole, said means including a resilient refrigerant carrier, pivoted arm mounted in said casing, one end of said arm overlying said carrier, the other end of said arm extending out of said casing, cables connecting to said carrier and reeved over said arm and having a counterbalance connected to the free end of said cable to counterbalance the refrigerant load mounted on said carrier, and spring loading means move-ply secured to the outer end of said arm.

3. The combination with a motile vehicle of an insulated outer casing, a chamber Within said casing having vertically corrugated sides said outer casing having ports 3' com amication between. the body of the vehicle and the space between the chamber and outer casing, the corrugations presenting grooves facing toward the center of said chamber, a refrigerant supporting rack mounted in said chamber for vertical movement therein, a lever extending throughia Wall of the casing and supporting said rack at its inward end, and a spring having one end connected to the outer end of said lever and its other end connected to a fixed object.

4. The combination with a motile vehicle of an insulated outer casing, a chamber within said casing having vertically corrugated sides said outer casing having ports affording communica 11 between the body of the vehicle and the space between the chamber and outer casing, the corrugations presenting grooves facing toward the center of said chamber, a refrigerant supporting rack mounted in said chamber for vertical movement therein, a lever extending through awall of the casing and supporting said rack at its inward end, a spring having one'end' connected to the outer end of said lever its other end connected to a fixed object, and a motor driven fan carried by he rack at its central portion.

5. The combination with a motile vehicle of porting rack mounted in said chamber for vertical movement therein, spring supporting said rack from the top of the chamber, a lever extending through a, wall of the casing and supporting said rack at its inward end, and a spring having one end connected to the outer end of said lever and its other end connected to a fixed object.

6. The combination with a motile vehicle of an insulated outer casing, a chamber within said casing having vertically corrugated sides said outer casing having ports afiording communication between the body of the vehicle and the space between the chamber and outer casing, the corrugations presenting grooves facing toward the center of said chamber, a refrigerant supporting rack mounted in said chamber for vertical movement therein, springs supporting said rack from the top of the chamber, a lever extending through a wall of the casing and supporting said rack at its inward end, a spring having one end connected to the outer end of said lever and its other end connected to a fixed object, and a motor driven fan carried by the rack at its central portion.

7. In a refrigerator, an insulated outer casing, a chamber within said casing having vertically corrugated sides, the corrugations presenting grooves facing toward the center of said chamber, a refrigerant supporting rack mounted in said chamber for vertical movement therein, springs supporting said rack from the top of the chamber, a lever extending through a wall of the casing and supporting said rack at its inward end, a spring having one end connected to the outer end of said lever and its other end connected to a fixed object, louvres in a, vertical wall of the casing above said chamber, a motor driven fan within the casing adjacent said louvres, other louvres pivoted in the lower part of the casing walls, and thermostats controlling the pivoting of the last named louvres.

8. In a refrigerator, an insulated outer casing, a chamber Within said casing having vertically corrugated sides, the corrugations presenting groove facing toward the center of said chamber, a refrigerant supporting rack mounted in said chamber for vertical movement therein,

springs supporting said rack from the top of the chamber, a lever extending through a wall of the casing and supporting said chamber at its inward end, a spring having one end connected to the outer end of said lever and its other end connected to a fixed object, a motor driven fan carried by the rack at is central portion, louvres in a vertical wall of the casing above said chamber, a motor driven fan within the casing adjacent said louvres, other louvres pivoted in the lower part of the casing walls, and thermostats controlling the pivoting of the last named louvres.

9. The combination with a motile vehicle of an insulated outer casing, a chamber within said casing having vertically corrugated sides said outer casing having ports affording communication between the body of the vehicle and the space between the chamber and outer casing, a refrigerant supporting rack mounted in said chamber for vertical movement therein, and springs supporting said rack at the top of the chamber.

10. The combination with a motile vehicle of an insulated outer casing, a chamber within said casing having vertically corrugated sides said outer casing having ports affording communication between the body of the vehicle and the space between the chamber and outer casing, the corrugations presenting grooves facing toward the center of said chamber, a refrigerant supporting rack mounted in said chamber for vertical movement therein, and springs supporting said rack at the top of the chamber.

HAROLD E. CHRISTMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,948,275 Miller Feb. 20, 1934 2,012,892 Rice Aug. 27, 1935 2,070,044 Gilpin Feb. 9, 1937 2,195,639 Baille Apr. 2, 1940 2,235,863 Aller Mar. 25, 1941 2,346,576 Hans Apr. 11, 1944 ,446,485 McMichael Aug. 3, 1948 

